California Waiting Children Program (Fost Adopt)

If you welcome the opportunity to parent a child from California, then the California’s Waiting Children Program may be just for you. Through this program, you have the opportunity to provide a permanent adoptive home to a former foster child who now has a permanent plan of adoption.

Currently in California, there are over 100,000 children in foster care. Of those, there are around 2,000-4,000 children available for adoption.

There are sibling groups, younger or older children, and children of color who are all awaiting adoptive placement. Adoption Horizons works with 90 county and state agencies to arrange “low risk” placements. Most of the children placed through this program have experienced the effects of neglect, abuse, and/or pre-natal drug/alcohol exposure. While there are challenging issues associated with this type of adoption, there are also great rewards including knowing you have truly changed a child’s life. If you can develop the skills to help an abused or abandoned child, then there will be many children who will become eligible for you to adopt.

When a family signs up for this program, they are also asked to become a licensed foster parent. We can assist you with this process. More care is taken to screen and educate fost-adopt parents as the children require the family to be fully prepared to accept them into their home. Once a family is homestudied and approved, Adoption Horizons prepares a “family available sheet” that includes photos and information about the parents. This sheet is sent to all of our cooperating agencies (approximately 90 agencies in California). As potential referrals come to the agency, they are reviewed and discussed with the family. Once a particular child or children have been identified, Adoption Horizons will work to get an official “match” from the cooperating agency. Even before a “match”, the family may begin visiting with the child. A family will be required to visit four or more times before the child or children may come to live with them. Once the children have come home, the adjustment phase begins. Families may be required to attend counseling during this time. If all goes well, Adoption Horizons works to finalize the adoption as soon as legally possible.

The unique benefits of the California’s Waiting Children Program are:
-There are many California children available for adoption
-A child may be placed in your home as soon as your homestudy is approved
-You may receive a subsidy for the child before and after you complete your adoption.
-You do not need to do concurrent planning with birthparents
-Young children and sibling groups are available
There are many children of color available